Stars not only shine at night
by kathaka9
Summary: Echo is a runaway who dreams of a mad man in a magic blue box coming to save her. One day when she sees him regenerating in an alleyway she just might get her wish. The story of their time together traveling in that magic blue box. 13th Doctor.
1. Chapter 1: The Doctor and the runaway

**A/N: I must admit I am terrified to put this up. I hope you like this. I'll aim to update once a week. Chapters can be long... Hope you like :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor who :(**

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**Chapter 1: The Doctor and the runaway**

I am alone, I am lost, I am a runaway.

I walked down the street. The sky was getting darker, lights were going out. I didn't stop. I needed to find my next meal.

I look into peoples' windows. Oh how I envy them, being able to laugh and smile, while I'm out here just trying to survive.

Sometimes I wish I hadn't run, sometimes I wish I'd stayed there. Other times I know I was right to leave. I'm surviving... Just. I can find food, water and shelter, keeping faith and hope is what I find hardest.

When the gangs beat me up, I have no one to help me. When the slums become too much, I have no home to go to. When my faith gets broken I have no one to fix it.

Still, I carry on. I know there's someone out there, someone who will care. I remember before I ran hearing about The Doctor. The Doctor was always so kind and forgiving... Maybe he'll save me.

I settle down for the night. I know that it'll be a long time until I fall into restless dreams about a Timelord coming to take me away.

The Doctor is what keeps me breathing. The fantasy that one day he'll take me through time and space in that magic blue box of his. He's been running all his life, so have I. I can only dream that someday we'll be running... Together.

We could save galaxies and civilizations. We could fight monsters and meet aliens. We could go back to the past and visit the future. All of time and space at our fingertips. That is why I haven't given up. That is why I still live, because I dream that one day The Doctor will save me. He'll take me away from here, but right now I can only dream.

I'm lying on the grass staring at the night sky. The cloud has settled in, the stars will not shine tonight. I try to fall asleep, it's not working. The dreams will not come.

Suddenly I heard a gunshot come from the alleyway behind me. I got up and ran. There was a man slumped against the side of a building.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up at me with startled eyes. His breath was shaky. I noticed that he was bleeding heavily from a bullet hole in his chest.

Oh god he'd been shot. I ran over to him and put pressure on the wound but he batted me away.

"No, it's too late. You can't save me. Go."

"No. I will not leave you here to die."

"You being here won't change the fact that it's going to happen."

"No one deserves to die alone."

I notice his eyes begin to flutter. He's getting weaker. What do you do when this happens? Right! I need to keep him awake.

"Talk to me. Can you tell me who you are?"

He opens his mouth and let's out a shaky breath. He barely manages to string the words together but it's enough for me to know.

"The Doctor, I'm The Doctor."

I look at him in shock then realize that he actually is the Doctor.

"What can I do?"

"Leave. Just leave and don't come back."

"If you're dying I won't leave you. I won't let you die alone."

He gasps in pain. "Step back... NOW!"

I hesitantly take a step backwards. He looks down at his hands that are now glowing with a beautiful golden light.

"It's starting."

His whole body becomes submerged in the golden light. I look away. When I look back at him I see that he is an entirely different man.

He has a mop of curly ginger hair. His eyes are blue.

"I can't believe you didn't run."

"Who says I'm not running already?"

He didn't appear to hear me because he'd become too interested in examining himself in a puddle.

"Am I ginger?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"You must be my good luck charm. Finally I'm ginger! Hey who are you?"

I shrug. "I'm no one."

He doesn't look convinced. "You stayed with me even though I asked you not to. Come on. At least tell me your name."

"Echo, my name is Echo. That's all I am anyway. An echo of my former self."

"Well Echo, we'll have to fix that now, won't we."

He grabbed me wrist and pulled me down the street. He pulled me into a blue telephone box.

"It's bigger on the inside?"

"Yeah. I suppose it is. Well I have to find some new clothes. BRB!"

"What does 'BRB' mean?"

"You're kidding me? It means be right back!"

He ran off down a corridor I took this time to look around. Man this box is huge and complicated.

The Doctor came bounding back into the room. He was wearing entirely different clothes. He had on a black trench coat. He was wearing a ridiculously long scarf. He had pilot glasses on and was also wearing a fez.

"Now that I'm ready. Tell me, what were you doing on the streets at midnight? Did something happen at home?"

I felt hesitant. I didn't want him to know that I was really a runaway.

"I... Needed a walk."

"At midnight?"

"I got bored! What were you doing shot in an alleyway at midnight?"

"Point taken. So Echo, do you want to travel with me?"

"Yes!"

"Well then, all of time and space at your fingertips. Where do you wanna start?"

I pondered for a minute before saying "Anywhere!"

"Okay, anywhere it is! Goodbye earth... Next stop, everywhere!"

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******A/N: Okay thanks for reading chapter 1. Please review. If you have any ideas for me (e.g. story lines, characters, places, time periods, aliens etc) let me know and I'll do my best to write them. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Angels in the Louvre

**Chapter 2: angels in the Louvre**

The doctor lead me out of the Blue telephone box he called 'the TARDIS'. We were in Paris outside the Louvre. I gaped in awe at how in a matter of minutes we had traveled miles!

"Doctor? What are we doing here?"

He frowned "Don't you like it?"

"I do, it's just out of all of time and space you picked earth."

"I didn't pick here. She did."

"She?"

"The TARDIS!"

I nodded looking around. We were outside in the queue which was supposed to take 2 hours. There were statues everywhere. One for each platform... Except one.

"Doctor? Isn't there supposed to be a statue there?" I asked pointing at the platform missing one.

"Why yes, I believe there is. This is extremely very not good."

"Why?"

He ignored my question but began muttering nervously to himself. The queue moved relatively quickly. Just before we went inside I looked to the platform where the statue had been missing. There was just one thing... The statue was back.

The Doctor pulled me out of my confusion as he grabbed my wrist and dragged me in. We walked around and looked at art.

We left just as the Louvre was closing. On our way out I noticed that several statues had vanished or moved. No, this is not right at all.

Once we were back in the 'TARDIS' I looked at The Doctor questionly.

"All right! Tell me what's going on! How are the statues moving?"

"Their not statues."

I looked at him in confusion cropping my head to one side. "Come again?"

"Their not statues, their weeping angels."

Seeing the look of complete and utter confusion on my face he went on.

"Basically Weeping Angels look just like any ordinary statute. They are just any ordinary statue, until you blink.

They can't move as long as they are seen. The second any creature lays its eyes on them they are stone, and you can't kill a stone. Of course you stone can't kill you either but then you turn your head away. Then you blink. And oh yes it can."

"So how do we stop them?"

"Well work that out later!"

He ran off back towards the Louvre and I was forced to follow. He ran to the door. A officer was standing there.

"Oi you can't be here!"

The Doctor flashed a bit of paper and smiled "Oh yes we can!"

The man stepped to one side "Oh sorry sir."

The Doctor smiled trimumfitly and bounded past the guard inside. I had finally managed to catch up to him mainly because he was standing still as stone staring at a statue I front of him which I was sure hadn't been there 10 seconds ago.

I creeped up behind him and whispered "What do we do? Do you have a plan?"

I heard a trace of fear in his voice but it was overpowered by his smug confidence. " Plan? ummm... No!"

I shook my head at his stupidity. Then a neat little idea popped into my mind.

"They can't move if they're being observed right? Does that include by each other?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Stay there, I'll be right back." I said before running off. I ran down countless corridors before I found what I was looked for. Unfortunately when I turned around a statue had grabbed hold of my arm.

I had to escape to go help The Doctor. The angel being there might've been okay if it hadn't grabbed me. I huffed in annoyance. Realising that I had no choice I grabbed a mirror I had picked up and showed it to the angel praying it would work.

I set the mirror up on the wall behind me before slowly sliding my arm from the statues iron grip. I quickly ran back towards The Doctor not even caring if I got followed. Unfortunately when I got back he had gone but the statue remained.

Not good.

Doctors POV:

Where is she? I can't avoid blinking much longer. I watched the statue intensely praying that Echo would hurry up. If I got sent back she would have no way of either helping me or getting home.

My eyes were beginning to water. I knew I couldn't last any longer. At last I gave in to the need and blinked. When I opened my eyes I was in a dessert. Unfortunately I had no idea where or when I was.

Desserts. Sand. No clues to civilization. Well until a woman came up on a camel. I recognized her, it was Nefertiti. Oh thank god someone I know.

"Intruder!" she yelled.

Then I remembered that I was a whole new person so she probably had no idea what do ever who I am and now I'm intruding on her land. Bit not good.


	3. Chapter 3: Intruder

**Chapter 3: Intruder.**

Doctor POV:

She looked into my eyes and asked with a dangerous tone to her voice "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm The Doctor!"

Her face softened in realization. The guards around her remained confused. One of them stepped forward and asked "Doctor who?"

I laughed at the question while she shot him a hard look. "You dare question his title guard whose name I can't remember!?"

The guard muttered something under his breath. Nefertiti sharply looked at him and asked "Is that something you'd like to share with the rest of us?"

The guard shuffled uncomfortably before saying "I said my name is Ebo."

"Well Ebo." she said his name mockingly. "If you ever question The Doctor again I will make you pay, Or turn you into shoes. Depends if I'm feeling nice or not!"

She turned towards me and asked "So, what are you doing here?"

"Weeping angels sent me back in time and now I can't get back unless my new companion can somehow get here."

"I'll pretend that made sense. Do you want a ride into the city?"

I nodded and she told me to grab a camel. For some bizarre reason I liked the idea of riding a camel. After all I've never done it before. When Ebo looked at me confused as to why I found camels do exciting I simply stated "I ride a camel now. Camels are cool."

I could practically sense Nefertiti rolling her eyes at me. We rode back to Egypt in silence. When we got there we went inside her grand castle.

Man, she had a lot of money to waste! There were statues of gods and goddesses. There were shabiti (dolls that serve you in the afterlife), gold hieroglyphics on the walls. And I thought the TARDIS had a lot of stuff.

We sat down and began talking about random everyday things. Neither of us had noticed that the statues had begun inching forward... Well that is until there would be no escape.

She looked at me in shock. "Doctor? Care to explain?"

"Not right now, no. Just don't blink okay?"

I saw her nod beside me. Her guards had all gone on their lunch break. Great just us and the statues.

Suddenly as just as the statues were about to I presume kill us Echo burst into the room holding a mirror like her life depended on it.

"Doctor! No time to tell you what an idiot you were. I have to save your life."

She ducked and rolled showing the mirror to the angels. I was confused at first but then realized what she was up to. As she maneuvered between statues she was placing mirrors in their hands.

I saw what she was doing. Quantum locking them. Does reflection really count? As if she saw my confusion she smiled and nodded.

When she was finished she looked from me to Nefertiti then back again. She nodded silently and left the room.

"Okay, what just happened?"

"That was my new companion, Echo."

"But who is she?"

Too be honest I wasn't quite sure of that myself. She was really just a lonely girl I'd met on the street. Okay, met is an understatement. She was the first person I'd seen in this new form.

I remember looking up to find that the young lonely girl still hadn't left. Why had she stayed?

"Doctor?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Nefertiti. Right i need to work out how to explain echo... Fortunately Echo walked in.

"Seriously Doctor! I left for like five minutes! Can you really not last five minutes without blinking? Honestly! I came back to find you'd completely disappeared. Only to then find you in Egypt with queen Nefertiti!"

Nefertiti looked at her. "Who are you?"

Echo rolled her eyes dramatically before stating "I'm Echo."

Echo and Nefertiti began glaring at each other. If glares could kill both would be dead right now. I stepped in between them.

"So... Echo... How did you get here?"

_Echo's POV:_

I sighed. I didn't really feel like explaining but then again I suppose I have no choice. I closed my eyes remembering what had happened.

_Okay. He's gone. That great big idiot. How am I supposed to get to him now? Just then a woman came in with extremely frizzy hair. As if sensing my coming question she put a finger to my lips and said "My name is River."_

_The name seemed familiar but I couldn't place it. She seemed to recognize me though._

_"You've grown up so fast. How long has it been? 8 years?"_

_Suddenly I remembered her. No, no time for memories I have to help The Doctor!_

_"Are you traveling with him?"_

_I nodded assuming she was referring to The Doctor. She smiled._

_"Would you mind telling me where he is?"_

_"I have no idea. I left for five minutes to get something and when I came back he was gone."_

_"Don't worry I'll find him."_

_She grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the 'TARDIS'. Once inside she began punching in something. Eventually she turned around and frowned._

_"Apparently he's in ancient Egypt with queen Nefertiti."_

_At least we knew. River began running in circles around the 'console' flipping seemingly random levers and buttons. Before I knew it we were in ancient Egypt._

_"Go. He's probably gotten himself into even more trouble than he will be in after I'm through with him."_

_I ran._

"Echo?"

He sounded worried. I just sighed and looked over towards the door. River walked through triumphantly.

"Hello sweetie!"

"River?"

"Yes now step away from Nefertiti we need to talk."

he reluctantly stepped away from her. River grabbed him and led him into the TARDIS like a naughty child. I followed.

The first thing I heard when I entered the TARDIS was a lot of shouting. Yup, river was angry. I felt sorry for The Doctor.

Eventually River calmed down and the doctor hit a few buttons sending us bahri ugh time and space.

"What about the Weeping Angels?"

The Doctor and River both stared at me suddenly remembering that I was still there. River smiled at me and said "Don't worry I have people on it!"

Suddenly her phone rang and she answered it.

"Hello River. We've just finished fixing the statues. Why are they all holding mirrors?"

River shot me a questioning look but I just shrugged. "Something his new companion came up with."

"Well umm, yeah. We finished sorting it all out. The statues should be dormant now."

"Good job Jack. See you later."

"Bye River."

She hung up the phone and said to me "Taken care of!"

She then promptly hit a button on something that vaguely resembled a watch on her wrist and vanished.

"What was that?"

The Doctor pressed a few buttons sending us rocketing through time and space before he laughed and said "That was my wife, professor River Song."

Just after he said that the TARDIS went spiraling out of control. We were both thrown to the ground. Then all went black.


	4. Chapter 4: 2012

**Chapter 4: 2012**

When I woke up the Doctor was running about the console looking very anxious. He turned to look at me and gave me an unconvincing smile.

"Finally! I thought you'd never wake up!"

"Where are we?"

The Doctor frowned and checked a screen. "December 21st 2012. Oh! This is bad this is extremely very not good!"

"Why?"

He looked at me with a 'how can you not know this? Your an idiot' look.

"The day the world ends."

I repeat his words in my head checking if I heard him right.

"But the world didn't end in 2012, I'm living proof!"

He sighed sadly.

"Time is in flux." seeing the blank look on my face he added "If anything changes here your timeline might never exist."

"What would happen to me then?"

"You'd slowly fade away into nothingness. But trust me that's not going to happen. We WILL save earth."

"From what?"

The Doctor ignored my question and stepped out of the TARDIS. He walked over to a news stand. He picked up a magazine and shoved it into my hands.

"That!"

I looked at the magazine and Began reading the article on the first page.

**3 Alien spaceships have been found circling Earth. It is estimated that they will land on December 21st.**

I stopped reading and stared at The Doctor in horror. He nodded seeing my grave expression.

"What are we going to do?"

The Doctor looked meekly at the ground before mumbling that he didn't know. Great. Suddenly he rushed past me towards a cafe. I raced to keep up.

Once inside he pulled a laptop from his jacket.

"How on earth did that fit in there?"

"My pockets are bigger on the inside."

I just nodded absentmindedly as he began typing at rapid fire speed. After a while he looked up.

"I did it!"

"Did what?"

"Hacked into the Torchwood database. Now we can have some idea what's up there!"

The laptop dinged and he looked down at it excitedly. In a matter of seconds all the colour had drained from his face.

"What is it?"

He looked up at me grimly before whispering "It's them, their back. It's the Daleks."

I thought back im sure I'd heard that name before. Suddenly I remembered. They were those salt shakers on wheels armed with egg beaters and plungers screaming EXTERMINATE!

This was very very bad...

The Doctor had gotten up and began anxiously pacing beside me. I took the laptop and found out everything I could about Daleks... Well I thought that mattered.

**Daleks were the armoured, mutated descendants of the Kaleds of the planet Skaro. They fought the Time Lords in the Last Great Time War**

Blah, blah, blah. Don't need to know about that.

**"little green blobs in bonded polycarbide armour"**

Really? They look more like salt shakers to me...

**the Daleks showed a fondness for the works of William Shakespeare. **

That really won't help me in stopping them.

**Although they were nearly invulnerable, Daleks had several exploitable weaknesses. These changed and varied depending on the Dalek's type.**

Yes! Oh thank you!

**Eyestalk susceptible to concentrated fire, pride, arrogance, lack of imagination, dalek guns & insanity.**

Okay! This will help me so much... Wait. I don't have a gun. I... Oh geez. What have I gotten myself into?

The Doctor had finally stopped pacing and taken to watching the clock. When Id asked him why he said something about them invading tonight.

I just rolled with it. After hours of him staring at a clock and me researching Daleks. All I really found out was a few of their weaknesses and that they hated everything except Shakespeare?

Big Ben began chiming. I heard the sound of whizzing above me. I looked up and saw 3 humungous spaceships above London. The Doctor had also looked up.

"It's starting. We need to get up there."

He then grabbed me and pulled me into the TARDIS. He hit a few buttons and then we were off. When he opened the door we were greeted by the words "EXTERMINATE!"

The Doctor took off his fez and said threateningly "I will blow you all up with the awesomeness that is my fez!"

Oh god. Now we really are screwed!

One of the Daleks scanned the fez then screeched back "That is just a fez. You can't do anything with it."

The Doctor muttered annoyed under his breath "shoot I brought the wrong fez!"

"Do you really have a fez that can blow up half a million Daleks and a spaceship?"

"Yes but I left it in the cafe."

One of the Daleks went up to me and scanned me.

"You are not of this time zone. Who are you? More importantly what are you?"

I tried to stand strong. I really did. But to be perfectly honest I was shaking in my shoes. The last Dalek I'd seen had nearly killed me.

The dalek edged closer to me.

"You! You're that girl. The one who I missed. EXTERMINATE!"

The dalek began aiming wildfire (missing very badly) as The Doctor grabbed an umbrella. I stated at him questionably. He smiled and stated "Umbrellas are cool!"

He then opened the umbrella and ushered me behind it. He held it so it was blocking any dalek fire power. After a while the dalek had stopped firing.

The Doctor closed the umbrella and we saw the dalek was practically destroyed. The other Daleks all looked like they were about to kill us.

We had to kill them before they destroyed us along with the Earth. Yes the world didn't end in 2012 but that doesn't mean it can't!

How on Earth are we supposed to kill half a million killing machines with no weapons? Fortunately the Doctor was one step ahead of me. He pulled out a strangely deformed screw driver and pointed it at the Daleks.

The Daleks began advancing forward. The Doctor stepped in front of me to shield me from any fire. For some reason he pulled out the umbrella again. Seeing my confused look he told me "This umbrella is dalek gun proof!"

Just then a dalek shot a hole threw his umbrella. He looked annoyed and muttered to himself "Right. I watch too many spy movies. Umbrellas aren't bullet proof. I'll need to fix that."

The dalek shot again. The Doctor scowled at it and attempted to push me into the TARDIS but I stayed put.

"You aren't going to make this easy, are you?"

"Nope! Never run away from a fight."

"Unless you're going to get murdered, then running is a good option!"

"It's either us or the Earth. Which would you pick Doctor?"

He shot me a death glare. We both knew the answer to that. I think we're just trying to delay our coming death.

The Doctor clicked a button on his screwdriver and it began making a loud obnoxious sound. He didn't appear to notice. Some of the Daleks lost control of their weapons and began firing randomly.

"My vision is impaired!"

"You took out their vision?"

"Yes, Unfortunately we now have a higher chance of being shot."

We ducked and dodged our way towards the TARDIS. Many other Daleks had been shot and destroyed. When we got to the TARDIS the Doctor pushed me inside and instructed me to stay there.

He pressed the button on the screwdriver again causing the Dalek spaceships to explode. He quickly ran back into the TARDIS and hit some buttons so we were well away from the blast.

"How?"

"Just a little trick I picked up from river. Now I like nearly dying as much as the next guy but how about we go somewhere I don't know... Safer?"

"It never is with you Doctor..."

He smiled. He began rapidly running around the console pressing random buttons. Where will we end up next?


	5. Chapter 5: midnight

Chapter 5: Midnight.

"By the looks of things i'd say we're at the leisure palace. Well, while we're here... Echo would you like to visit a planet made of diamonds with an extonic sun?"

I nodded. He smiled and walked over towards a ticket booth. "Two please."

The alien behind the desk nodded and went to find the tickets. She gave them to The Doctor and he chucked the money at her. He came back over to me and motioned towards a space shuttle.

"Well go on then! Allons-y!"

We ran off towards the space shuttle. The Doctor presented our tickets and we boarded the shuttle. About 10 minutes later the shuttle left for midnight. While we were on the shuttle it began rapidly shaking.

"Is this supposed to happen?"

"Ummm... no."

"What should we do?"

"I DON'T KNOW... BUT THERE IT IS AND I SAY WE HAVE PRECISELY 5 SECONDS BEFORE WE GO CRASHING INTO IT!"

"I'm sorry... What?"

"Look out!"

At that moment we crashed into something. I felt my mind fade from reality.

When I woke up I couldn't move my body. I spoke but it wasn't my words.

"I'm fine Doctor."

No, I'm not. I can't move or speak. HELP ME DOCTOR.

Silly, silly Echo. He can't hear you.

What? That wasn't me. That wasn't my voice speaking to me.

What are you?

I'm you.

Me? No. You're not me. You don't belong here in MY head.

Yet... I'm here.

What are you? Are you some kind of parasite invading my brain?

I prefer to think of it as making do with what you have. You see 'Echo' I didn't have a body, but now I do and I must say, your mind isn't big enough for the two of us.

Then get out of it!

No. I control it now. Don't you see? There will be no fight. You've already lost and I've already won. Face it Echo.

No! The Doctor WILL save me.

Think what you like.

"Stop worrying about me. I'm fine!"

NOOOO. Doctor can't you see? She's not me. I'm not her.

No. Echo. He'll never see. He'll never save you. Face it, he's not a hero. He's just a mad man with a box, not your saviour.

I curled up in the darkest part of my mind thinking continuously to myself. _Doctor please save me. _


	6. Chapter 6: Everything ends

**A/N: Hi guys thanks to everyone who has read this and liked it. R&R. The next chapter may take some time since it hasn't been or even started being written yet. Stupid writers block. If you guys have any ideas for it can you let me know? THX!**

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**Chapter 6: Everything ends.**

Doctor's POV:

Echo was pale. She looked about as far from fine as she could be. She wasn't responding much. Almost like she was retreating into her mind. No. Just shock. She's fine. She said she's fine. Stop worrying.

"Doctor. What happened?"

"We crashed. Don't you remember?"

"No. My heads gone all fuzzy. Where are we?"

"We crash landed on the surface of Midnight."

She smiled. It was a dazed smile.

"My head hurts, did I hit it?"

Why would her head hurt? She barely fell. I had a way worse fall than her. Something's wrong. Her eyes wandered as if trying to think of something.

"Then why don't I remember? That's a symptom of concussion right? Forgetting?"

"Um... yeah?"

"So this planet eh? It's lovely. The surface is absolutely beautiful! It's amazing! Absolutely amazing!"  
Echo wouldn't know that. Well no one would. She has never seen the surface of Midnight. No one has. It can't be Echo in there.

"But I don't know if the same applies to you."

She cropped her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"You're not Echo. You're something else. Most likely a parasite chewing up her mind like a vashta nerada chews meat. But she is a human being, not food. Not transport. You can't claim her mind."

She sighed in submission. "You figured it out. Well done. Sorry, no gold star to give you."

"What are you?"

"I'm Echo. She's fading from her own mind faster than you can count."

Echo's POV:

_No. I will NOT fade. This is my mind and I don't remember giving you permission to control it!_

_I don't need 'permission'. Besides theres nothing you or your precious doctor can do to save you._

_I wouldn't be so sure._

I uncurled myself from the corner of my mind. I tried to find my way out through the maze spinning around me. You can't escape. Keep trying. If theres a way for that 'thing' to get in here must be a way for me to get out. Somewhere.

_There is no way out. Nowhere for you to run to. No way of escape. You're a prisoner in your own mind. Fading from reality._

The Doctor was frantic. "Echo? Are you in there? If you're still in there you have to fight it. Come back. I can't lose another companion and I certainly cannot lose you."

"Oh so touching. You actually managed to make her try. It's rather testing my patience. I didn't realise she was so strong. But still, she's not strong enough."

He tried one last time. It was a desperate plea. "Echo. Please. Don't give up. You can get out. It's your mind. You can beat it. Just keep fighting."

I focused. I imagined the maze collapsing around me. I imagined that I was face to face with that 'thing.' When I looked up the maze was gone and a girl was standing in front of me. She had lovely brown wavy hair just like me and my sister had. She turned around to look at me.

I found myself staring into the eyes of my long dead younger sister. "Echo? You found me."

"I always do."

She stared past my shoulder. "If I'm dead, does that mean... that you are as well?"

"I don't know. You always lived on in my dreams."

She looked at the ground sadly. "So many unlived days. I could've lived. If IT hadn't come. It invaded my mind and destroyed it. Turned my mind to nothingness. It stayed until it got bored. Until I got bored."

She laughed. Her body began morphing into something truly horrific. I can't even begin to describe it. I was shaking from fear. How dare that thing impersonate my sister.

"I'm not impersonating her. I am her. Don't you see Echo? I needed a body, a living mind. It's all the Doctor's fault I'm this way. He didn't save me. He's not a hero, he's a murderer. Do you have any idea how many people have died because of him? I'm not the first and I won't be the last. Sooner or later you'll die because of him too. They all do.

It won't be long before you fade and become like me. Desperate for a body to live in. It's no fun being nothing but a consciousness floating through space. It drives you mad, to the brink of destruction. I have no choice. I'm sorry sis."

I looked down at the ground feeling a single tear drop from my eye. "Surely there's another way? Surely we can save you."

"No, you can't. I don't have a body of my own to return to."

"Why don't we ask the Doctor for help?"

"He won't help. He's the reason I ended up this way."

"Just let me ask."

She nodded her head in consent and handed over my body to me. She was still there in my mind but right now i had control. I smiled at The Doctor but he was watching me with intense suspicion.

"It's me Doctor. I need you to help me with something."

He hesitated before asking "What do you need help with?"

"Well you see. The parasite is actually my sister. Could you perhaps help me find a body for her? I don't want her to stay how she is. It breaks my heart. I don't think I could live with myself knowing that my only sister is out there. Dying inside trying to find a body which she can live in. I can't do that to her."

_I can't do that to you either._

"There are no bodies for a soul without one. I'm sorry Echo. I will not find someone for your sister to erase. You can't save everyone. At some point everyone dies. Everything ends."

I felt my heart shatter in two upon hearing his words. I began crying inside and out. I heard my sisters voice in my mind.

_Don't cry Echo. Please. It's okay_.

"You have to save her Doctor! She wouldn't be this way if it weren't for you. Please Doctor. Save my sister."

"I'm sorry Echo. I can't. I will not be responsible for another death."

"She's not dead! If you won't give her somewhere else to be. She can stay here. You will be responsible for my death!"

"Echo..."

_Don't do this Echo. If it comes down to you or me I'd rather it be you. I don't want to die, but for you I'll make an exception._

At that moment I wanted nothing more than to just break down and cry. My heart was absolutely shattered. My sister was willing to continue her torturous existence for me.

_I'm already an echo._

_No you're not. You're my sister._

_Let me leave Echo. Theres no point. I don't want you to have to suffer through the same fate I had to. Sure, at first I was willing to let it happen but not now. Not to you. Before I hadn't realised who you were but now I know. Theres no point in both of us being this way. You will not fade Echo._

_I would for you._

_I would do the same. He can't save me Echo. We can't be together. I can't stay here, it's not fair for you. Everything has it's time and everything ends._

_Not you._

_It's my time Echo. I must let you live your life. You're the only one who ever cared about me. You're the only one I ever loved. You were always my hero and you should continue shining. Stars not only shine at night you'd always say. Whenever I was lost or afraid you'd always be there. You were the light in the never-ending darkness. Too bad I never got to be there when you needed me most. I will never be really here. Don't hand your mind over to me. It's yours not mine._

_I would do anything at all for you._

_And I for you. That's why I'm letting you go. Goodbye Echo. I will always love you._

Just like that she was gone from my mind. "Why didn't you save her? You could've saved her!"

I felt all my rage seeping through my bones. He should've saved her. She didn't deserve to die.

"No Echo. I really couldn't have. No one deserves to have to become like her. Everything ends Echo. There is nothing you can do about it."

"But you can. All those worlds you saved. All the people you loved. Yes every story has an ending but that's not where it truly ends. It never ends."

"Everything does."

"Every story always ends with happily ever after. Well where's her happily ever after Doctor?"

"Happily ever afters just don't happen in real life."

"Doesn't mean they shouldn't. She said she died because of you. That she's not the first. How many people have you allowed to die Doctor? One day will you be burying me?"

"Never you. I hate seeing people die but theres nothing I can do. I can't save them like they saved me. Please Echo. I never hurt your sister. She wasn't strong enough to fight it off. It wasn't like her. It had no mercy so I had no choice."

I stepped back in horror. "YOU KILLED HER!? Did it even occur to you that you might've been able to save her? Or that she was still in there? No wonder she hates you!"

"Echo, I'm sorry."

"For what!?"

"For what I did. I wished there was another way but there wasn't. And right now I know you're not going to forgive me. I'm sorry but what I do now is for your own sake. I can't lose you too."

He pulled out a strange looking light stick thing.

"What's that?"

"A grade A neuralizer. I watch WAY too many spy movies. Well basically I click a button on this and you forget the last hour ever happened."

"Hold on..."

"Too late!" he smiled and pressed a button on his neuralizer which I think looks more like a fancy light. Then my mind clouded over and all went black.


End file.
